Sleeping Beauty
by Laura Kay
Summary: Arthur reflects on the first time he and Molly slept together not that way you sick little kids!


Hello people!  Just a note that isn't incredibly important to anyone (hardly any of my notes are): This isn't supposed to be like the whole Molly-sees-Dementor-Arthur-dead thing from OotP.  After I wrote it I saw it was quite similar.  Whoops!  This actually stemmed from a nightmare I had about a friend of mine, although, he wasn't so near me as Arthur was to Molly, so I couldn't hug him until the next evening… And there are the pointless ramblings.

Anyhoo.  On with the show!  (Did anyone else just hear Harold from Moulin Rouge?  No?  Just me then…)

Sleeping Beauty 

            Arthur woke up just as dawn broke over 12 Grimmauld Place.  Without opening his eyes, he could imagine just how Molly lay right now: her face snuggled into his arm, her body curled against his, and her arms wrapped around his chest.  It was a usual position for them, an arrangement they fell into in their sleep after so many years together.

Arthur opened his eyes, smiling at the picture he had already seen in his mind's eye.  Molly was laying exactly the way he knew she would be.  He brushed some hair away from her face and kissed her forehead.  Even after all this time, he still thought she was one of the prettiest women he'd ever met.  And she had no idea the effect she had on him, which made it even more attractive to him.  He loved the way she felt next to him.  He loved the way her eyes crinkled slightly at the corners, due to years of smiling and laughing.  And he loved that smile!  At the moments, her full lips were parted slightly, and Arthur couldn't help but shift his head to capture those lips with his own. She snuggled closer to him in her sleep and he gladly wrapped his arms more tightly around her.

Arthur's mind drifted to the memory of the first night they had slept together.  Not the night they had first made love, but that night, in their seventh year, when she had crept into his room in the middle of the night

……………_Flashback_……………

            Molly climbed the staircase shakily, with only one thought in her mind: she had to see him.  As quietly as she could she opened the door to Arthur's dorm.  Through her tears she could make out four four-poster beds in the moonlight.  Panic rose in her chest.  Which bed was his?  She had half a mind to start ripping back the curtains on each bed.

One of the beds squeaked and Molly froze.  The curtains were pulled back to reveal a curious red haired boy.  Molly sobbed in relief and flung herself across the room into his arms.

Arthur had been wondering why someone had entered the room.  Now, as he held her close to him, he was wondering what could have upset her so.  Her sobs were quite loud and he was afraid she would wake up the other boys and get into trouble.  He pulled her onto his bed, closed the curtains and cast a silencing charm and 'lumos' so he could see her.  Molly hardly took any notice.  She buried her face in Arthur's chest, holding him as tightly as her shaky arms could.

Arthur rocked her gently and made shushing noises, kissing the top of her head.  He was amazed that this came so naturally to him; he'd seen Molly cry before, but she'd never sobbed and clung to him like this in the three years they'd been dating.

"Molly, Molly, what's wrong?" he asked

She managed to sob out an answer.  "I had a dream…"

"A dream?  What kind of dream?"

"A bad one…I dreamt you died…"  More sobs racked her body.  Arthur pulled her into his lap, holding her tighter.  "It was horrible," she went on.  "You slipped and hit you head…  I couldn't do anything…  I woke up and I couldn't remember if it was real or not.  I was so afraid I'd lost you!"

"Oh Molly.  I'm sorry.  But it's okay now, because I'm right here, holding you.  I'm still alive."

"But you were holding me in my dream and you weren't alive," she said, but her sobs were subsiding anyway.

Arthur pulled back slightly so he could see her face.  "Molly, look at me.  I'm okay.  I'm still here with you."  Molly inhaled shakily, but nodded.  She smoothed her hands over his head, as if checking for injuries.  She let her hands fall to his chest which was now wet with her tears.  Arthur was suddenly very aware that he wasn't wearing a shirt.  He made to reach for one, but Molly stopped him, pressing a kiss to his collarbone as she hugged him again.  Arthur was now very much aware that she wasn't wearing very much either, only a thin nightgown.  In her haste to see him, she'd forgotten her dressing gown.

He pointed this out to her.  "Molly dear, we're not really dressed properly.  If you'd just—let go of me for a minute—" he was struggling to extricate himself from her embrace.

Molly let him go and Arthur reached through the curtains to retrieve his pajama top and his dressing gown for Molly.  He quickly dressed, but she just draped the robe around her shoulders.

"I was so scared," she said quietly, though she had stopped shaking so violently.  Arthur brushed away the tears clinging to her cheeks, trying to show his concern, but had to stifle a yawn instead.  

He immediately started to apologize, but this made Molly chuckle slightly.  "I'm sorry I woke you up.  I was just being silly.  Of course it was just a dream."  She made to climb off his lap, but Arthur could hear her breathing was still somewhat shaky.

"Molly, you don't have to go.  We can talk for a while if you're still upset."

Molly hesitated.  "You need sleep."

"So do you.  Are you going to get any if you go back to your bed?"

"Probably not, but I'm not going to get any if I stay here talking, will I?"

"Oh," Arthur said flatly.  "I hadn't thought of that."

Molly smiled, more widely this time.  "As much as I'd like to not be alone, you can get some sleep."

Arthur slipped an arm around her waist as she made to leave again.  "So stay here.  If I slept with you, you might be able to sleep right?  "

Molly looked slightly shocked.  "Arthur, I told you, I love you, but I'm just not ready yet—"

Arthur's eyes widened.  "Oh!  Mollyt you could stay here, and I could—be here with you," he finished lamely.  *_Good one, Arthur, way to put your foot in it_*

But Molly was slowly smiling as she contemplated the offer.  "Okay," she said quietly.

Arthur hardly believed she had said it.  He smiled warmly and slid over to make room for her to lie next to him.  She shrugged off his robe and curled up next to him, allowing him to pull the covers up over her.  He whispered "nox" to put out his wand and lay down next to her.  She hesitated for a moment and then snuggled closer to him.  He wrapped his arms around her.  Molly pressed a kiss to his neck and closed her eyes.  Suddenly she was quite sure she'd be able to sleep.

Arthur suddenly wasn't so tired.  He could just make out Molly's features in the dark, and he was spellbound.  She was beautiful.  And she was his.  She came to him when she was upset and he could make her feel better.  And now she was sleeping right next to him!  His heart soared.  He fell asleep sometime later with a wide smile on his face.

……………_End Flashback_……………

They gray dawn light was becoming pinker as Arthur watched a sliver of it fall across his bed. The light caught Molly's hair, making it gleam.  She shifted slightly so the beam illuminated her face, and Arthur smiled.  "You get more beautiful everyday," he said quietly

Molly's eyes flickered open.  "Hmm?" she mumbled softly.

"Nothing Molly.  Sorry I woke you."  He kissed her forehead and tightened his arms around her.

Molly blinked her eyes, trying to focus them, and turned her head to look at Arthur.  "S'okay.  Morning." she smiled sleepily.

"I love sleeping with you," Arthur whispered into her ear.

Molly's smile widened as she tilted her head up to kiss him.  Then she buried her face against his chest to block out the intruding sunbeam, and fell almost immediately back to sleep.

Arthur chuckled softly and closed his eyes too, wanting to get a few more hours of sleep with his wife.

Tra-la-la, there is the little fic.  I hope you liked it. : )  Did you?  Or did you hate it, and you think my creative license should be revoked?  Tell me, please, because I like to know what you all think.  Review me, please!!   ~~Laura


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